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Title: Little Known Facts About the Making of The Show “Gilligan’s Island”
Source: [None]
URL Source: https://www.history-a2z.com/little- ... s-of-gilligans-island/2?xcmg=1
Published: May 19, 2022
Author: Tal Berlinger
Post Date: 2022-06-11 22:30:24 by BTP Holdings
Keywords: None
Views: 554
Comments: 9

Little Known Facts About the Making of The Show “Gilligan’s Island”

Mar 19, 2022 | Tal Berlinger

The American sitcom Gilligan’s Island was one of the most beloved and watched shows of all time and is still being watched today. The show aired from 1964 up until 1967 and featured 98 episodes of the cast trying to escape the island in hilarious ways.

It’s time to sail the S.S. Minnow as we take a trip through the behind- the-scenes of the show — including funny bloopers, Gilligan’s hidden real name, secrets you’d never suspect about the cast, and even the hilarious origin of the show’s premise.

The real locations

The harbor that we see “The Minnow” sail away from in the opening credits (in the colorized seasons, at least) is really the harbor at Newport Beach in California. The cave that Gilligan sometimes hid in to get away from the struggles of the island is also a real cave, a little south of Newport Beach at Corona del Mar.

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Even today, it's known by locals as “Gilligan's cave.” Of course, the island, for the most part, was a studio set, something that is quite apparent to modern viewers for any number of reasons, but the most obvious was the fake backdrop.

The cast never got to escape the island during the show

With the sudden cancellation of Gilligan’s Island, the show never reached its ending (since it was supposed to go on for a fourth season). Eventually, the crew decided to tie up loose ends from the last episode of season 3, which ended just like the rest, with the castaways still stranded on the island.

Alamy Stock Photo

In the 1978 made-for-television movie Rescue from Gilligan's Island, we finally see the castaways successfully leaving the island, and dealing with the difficulty of reintegrating into society. The movie was very well received, and fans were delighted that the show’s story didn’t end yet. A second movie called Castaways on Gilligan’s Island was announced shortly after and released a year later in 1979.

The tastes of the island

Long after the show ended — 1993 — Dawn Wells penned “Mary Ann's Gilligan's Island Cookbook,” which features food that the characters might have eaten while stranded on the island. Expect lots of coconut dishes. There is also “Gilligan's Stew,” “Ginger's Snaps,” and something called a “Shipwreck Sandwich.”

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A few other people joined in the writing, including Ken Beck and Jim Clark, and Bob Denver, Gilligan's actor, even wrote the foreword. In case you're wondering, yes, there is a recipe for the coconut pies that Mary Ann cooks for Gilligan during the show. There are also stories, photos, and anecdotes from Wells's time on the show.

Everything had to be made from wood and coconuts

Since the entire premise of the show was that the cast had to survive on a deserted island, all props had to be made from either wood or coconuts. This posed a major challenge, as everything from the chairs and up to the foot pedal-powered car had to be made from only these 2 materials.

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#1. To: BTP Holdings (#0)

Last I checked, Mary Ann is still living.

Fred Mertz  posted on  2022-06-11   22:42:04 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#2. To: Fred Mertz (#1)

Last I checked, Mary Ann is still living.

No, she's sadly passed away, I think within the last year. The only one left is Ginger who, ironically, was unique in having disparaging regard for her involvement in the show. She was even replaced with a different actress the "Rescue from Gilligan's Island" as she declined to play her role.

Pinguinite  posted on  2022-06-12   0:37:46 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#3. To: Fred Mertz (#1)

Died Dec 30, 2020. It's been a year and a half. Supposedly from "Covid-19 related causes".

Pinguinite  posted on  2022-06-12   0:41:51 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#4. To: Pinguinite (#3)

Supposedly from "Covid-19 related causes".

Oh? She must have taken "the jab". That is the kiss of death.

Don't vax me, bro. ;)

"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one." Edmund Burke

BTP Holdings  posted on  2022-06-12   9:06:42 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#5. To: BTP Holdings (#4)

Very possible, though she was diagnosed with dementia some 6 months earlier. She did make a video a week before she died meant to be presented on NY's eve, so it seems it was somewhat sudden.

Pinguinite  posted on  2022-06-12   9:31:01 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#6. To: Pinguinite (#5)

Gunsmoke v. Gilligan's Island

In a 2013 interview, Dawn Wells, who played Kansas farm girl Mary Ann Summers on "Gilligan's Island," told Esquire that her show took the fall in 1967 because the wife of CBS chief William Paley was a huge "Gunsmoke" fan. "What happened was Gunsmoke was canceled, and we were moved into their time slot," Wells revealed. "Mrs. Paley — the wife of the board chairman — had been on vacation when Gunsmoke was canceled, and when she got home, she said, 'You can't cancel Gunsmoke. It's my favorite show.' So they canceled us."

"Gilligan's Island" creator Sherwood Schwartz told the Archive of American Television (posted on YouTube) that after he had already been given the green light for a fourth season –- and had told his actors — his show and another half-hour comedy were dumped so "Gunsmoke," which was struggling with its Saturday night audience, could take over the Monday night time slot. Schwartz had to make the unpleasant call to his "Gilligan's Island" cast to tell them their show would not be returning after all. CBS may have sunk "Gilligan's Island" prematurely, but the show has lived on in syndication for more than 50 years. "Everybody bet it wouldn't last three weeks," Wells told Esquire. "Everybody thought it was the stupidest show ever written. It can't be stupid and have survived like it has. We've never been off the air."

Read More: www.looper.com/817908/how...island/?utm_campaign=clip

“ On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. ” ~ H. L. Mencken

Lod  posted on  2022-06-12   9:52:19 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#7. To: Lod (#6)

Yes, I heard about that. This is an interesting documentary on the show I watched a few years ago narrated by Dawn Wells. It's quite good.

Pinguinite  posted on  2022-06-12   10:07:02 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#8. To: Pinguinite (#7)

Thanks. I think my gf got Dawn Wells' autograph many moons ago in Florida. Gf said Dawn was very personable.

Fred Mertz  posted on  2022-06-12   11:46:44 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#9. To: Fred Mertz (#8)

Gf said Dawn was very personable.

You get that impression listening to her in the above program. It's really a good watch, and you'll be amazed at Natalie who played Mrs Howell. I won't ruin it.

Pinguinite  posted on  2022-06-12   12:45:23 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


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